


At the lake

by lovesynlikeasin



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Gryffindor/Slytherin Inter-House Relationships, Hogwarts, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Hogwarts Inter-House Rivalries, One Shot, Redeemed Draco Malfoy, Romance, Sweet, The Great Lake | The Black Lake (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:28:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26494894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovesynlikeasin/pseuds/lovesynlikeasin
Summary: Hermione Granger has returned for a 8th and final year at Hogwarts. Things have changed, and more importantly; people have changed.She find herself exchanging looks with the one and only Draco Malfoy
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy
Comments: 4
Kudos: 49





	At the lake

It started with gazes. Longer than usual. Who knew they would ever be at this stage? After everything that had happened. 

8th years at Hogwarts. It had never happened before, but due to the war it was deemed necessary. Even if the trio was shaking their heads at the idea. Almost every student their year had learned far more than any average seventeen year old wizard knew. But here they were, back in the Great Hall along with all their classmates. Those...still among them. 

It was by mere chance that Hermione Granger was glancing at the Slytherin table, curious if the Malfoy brat had returned. A few students had refused to return. Most chose to come back, because Hogwarts was their home and they just weren't ready to say goodbye just yet. 

She never expected to lock eyes with him. Yet she felt his steel blue eyes pierce into hers, and she held back a soft gasp as she tore away her eyes from his. Ron raised an eyebrow but didn't question it. Their locked gaze had lasted a few seconds but Hermione just couldn't seem to shake it off her. 

Next time had been during an Transfiguration Class. Gryffindor and Slytherin shared these classes and Hermione, seated next to Harry had just gazed behind her to see which students would show up.  
Fuck.  
Steel blue eyes met hers and Hermione clenched her jaw and this time she dared to look a little longer. But just a little. Then she tore away her eyes in horror. What the fuck was she staring Draco Malfoy down for?  
He had been nothing but a bully, an enemy, a monster to her.  
Yet she found herself observing him far more than necessary. He was different. He still wore his trademark smirk when he was among his friends. If they even were his friends; the trio had doubted the Slytherin friendships for years. They seemed way too keen to throw each other under the bus to be called friends.  
Yet Dra-Fuck, Malfoy was far more quiet than usual. Come to think about it, she had yet to hear any sour shit drawl from his lips this term. He wasn't into the usual bullying they had grown used to. 

"Does Malfoy seem different to you guys?" Hermione one night mentioned over their study books in the library. Ron raised an eyebrow at her and Harry seemed confused. Hermione tried to act normal, as if it was just an random thought, not something she would think about every day.  
The red headed wizard shrugged. "Maybe? He's not as big mouthed anymore. Probably scared. Serves him well." As Harry nodded agreeing, Hermione realized that her friends weren't the correct people to ask. Of course they wouldn't bother to notice. Hell, it made her nauseas to know that she, herself, noticed it. Because Ron was right. What had Malfoy ever done to deserve anything good in his life? He had been on the wrong side of the war.  
But Hermione Granger was a woman of logic and a voice inside her head was saying that it wasn't as if he had so much of a choice. He was simply born into it. 

"I'm going to bed." Hermione announced to her friends. Ron and Harry didn't raise their eyebrows anymore, or look puzzled, like they did the first times Hermione had used bad excuses to get away from them. They had seen her sneak out of the castle too many times. Both of them knew she went to the lake. That was where she found peace. They weren't offended, at least not anymore. The war had affected everyone different, even the ever so logical and book smart Hermione Granger. 

It happened far too often for her own liking. The way her chest heaved and couldn't seem to sink, as if everything in her body just clogged. The fresh air helped slight. Outside she at least had a fair chance at breathing.  
She needed the lake. She didn't know why. It was peaceful. It was soothing. It numbed the worst ache the war had left in her heart, her body. 

The air was getting colder evening by evening and this particular night, it was chilly enough that even in her thick Gryffindor robes, she wrapped her arms around herself in a silly attempt to keep warm.  
Suddenly a magical bluebell flames appeared, in front of her, sending waves of warmth through her straight away.  
Hermione shot her head up though, looking behind her shoulder. Because, for once she wasn't the one producing the blue soft flames.  
The young witch found herself locking eyes with the one and only Draco Malfoy.  
He was standing, almost awkwardly, in his Slytherin robes. They almost seemed to be just an inch too small. Almost as if they weren't bought just this summer. 

"Hi, Malfoy." she spoke quietly, soft. Malfoy gave a nod. "You mind?" He asked, and Hermione shook her head as she gulped. Her thoughts was racing as the so called Slytherin Prince sat down next to her. It was perhaps the first time they had been this close without insults being thrown her way. By him. 

It was also the first time since....she was on his floor, wounded, tortured and suddenly she heaved after air. What was she thinking? Letting her enemy so close. She shouldn't at all. Running off crossed her mind, but she was just too curious for that just now. 

They sat there for a while, in silence, before the blond broke it. "It's strange, isn't it? A year ago we were enemies." She wanted to comment that they still were. That nothing had changed. That they always would be. That sudden politeness didn't change the way he had made her feel far too often. Yet nothing left her lips. Silence feel between them once more and Hermione kept her eyes on the lake. 

"It itches. Whenever I look at you. I don't actually know if it does, or if it's just my concious playing me." the blond wizard broke the quiet once more and Hermione blinked. She knew exactly what he was refering to. The mark. The death eater mark. "It's your concious. There's no lore on the mark reacting to anything." she suddenly blurted out. She was so taken aback by his upfront words, she spilled the matter of factly words before she had a chance to stop herself. In the weak moonlight she saw a small smile playing across his lips. A weirdly softly soft one. "I almost thought the obnoxious know it all was gone. Guess I was wrong." Hermione was about to snap at him, when she realized he was giving her a weird look, almost...friendly. It hit her that he actually spoke as if he was her friend. "Watch out, you almost sound like Ron, there." Hermione tried hide the tiniest smile, and it certaintly got harder as Malfoy scoffed. "Never, Granger." Perhaps he was right. Was there actually a chance that that their hatred had unknowningly faded into a sort of friendly relation? Because, a year ago he would of snarled, hexed her because of her words. Yet, here they were, almost joking among themselves. 

Neither said anything after that. They both sat there, the blue flames keeping them from freezing to death. Hermione lost track of time and who knew how many hours they actually sat there in each other's company, staring into the lake. Both probably mending wounds the world couldn't see. 

The gazes just got longer after that. Their eyes locked in the Great Hall, in their classes, in the hallways. Except that one time at the lake, they didn't exchange words. Ron and Harry, thankfully didn't seem to notice how she automatical glanced towards the Slytherin table. Out of all the houses, Slytherin was the one with the least people. Goyle hadn't returned for his eight year. Nor had Blaise Zabini and Millicent Bulstrode. By the looks of it, Malfoy's only company was Pansy Parkinson and Theodor Nott. 

Many were ashamed to be Slytherins now and hadn't returned to Hogwarts in fright of being bullied. Hermione didn't blame them though. Because the truth was that the students from the other houses just couldn't hold back their taunting and shaming. Even Ron and Harry could be heard saying hurtful words, even if they quickly stopped when they saw Hermione scolding them. 

"I don't get why you get your pants in a twist, Mione?" Ron questioned as they sat down at the library one evening. They had passed a few Slytherin's on the way. They were probably third or fourth years and Ron had snarled at them. "Because we're supposed to be adults, Ron! Adults don't bully children! And, we are not stooping down to their level!" Hermione snapped at Ron. The red head rolled his eyes. "Someone should of shared that tiny bit of information with Snape." he replied dryly. Awkward Harry nodded to Hermione's words, but she wasn't really sure he truly agreeing with her. In one way, she couldn't blame him. Yet sometimes she wished both him and Ron would stop seeing everything so damn black and white. "Anyways, if we don't show them who decides, who knows when Slytherin starts bullying and calling every muggleborn 'mudblood' again?" Hermione winced and she knew Ron was trying to get a rise out of her. "If people treat them like people, they might not turn to evil doings!" the witch protested and Ron simply rolled his eyes. "All Slytherin's are evil, 'Mione! You know that! Considering how smart you are, you're really naive sometimes." Harry glanced between the two, obviously not knowing who to side with. "Regulus Black changed!" Hermione snapped, causing Ron to groan loudly. "What is this? Is Slytherin your new project? It reaks of S.P.E.W." 

Hermione held her breath in anger, staring at Harry. "Can you believe this?" but she scoffed as she realized that Harry, as always, sided with Ron. "You two are really stupid and bloody insensitive at times." She rose to her feet and collected her books, quill and parchment and stuffed them brashly in her bag before storming off. She was so angry, and it felt as if she couldnt't breath at all. She needed air. Now. 

As she got to the lake, she threw the bag away from her, feeling as if the heavy weight was downright choking her. Why couldn't they understand that it was their responsibility not to groom a new Voldemort. Even Voldemort had been a child at one point. 

Hermione didn't know how long she had been there when she heard footsteps and she looked over her shoulder. Draco Malfoy. The witch gave a greeting nod, and conjured bluebell flames, as if giving him a silent invitation to sit down with her.  
The unlikely pair sat in silence for a while before Hermione decided to break the silence. "I had a fight with Ron. About Slytherins and how everyone treats them." she announced quietly, stealing a glance at the Malfoy heir, and she saw how his jaw tightened slightly.  
"I don't think it's right, how everyone are treating you all." she continued softly.  
Malfoy's eyes met hers.  
"I, well, we deserve it. The oldest of us. But not the youngest." He looked uncomfortable and Hermione got the strangest urge to take his hand. She strayed from it though, but didn't break eye contact. 

"The first week back was dreadful. All the newly sorted Slytherin kids, well, let's say; not all of them were happy with the sorting. Me, Pansy and Theo used most of our time reassuring them that they weren't evil simply because they are Slythrins." Hermione felt a stab in her heart. It just wasn't fair.  
"Maybe there shouldn't be houses at all." Hermione murmured and Draco broke their eyecontact, staring at the lake.  
"Maybe. But; then I wouldn't be able to beat your sorry asses at Quidditch." there it was, the trademark smirk and Hermione couldn't help but laugh slightly. "Oh really? I didn't know you were on the Slytherin team?" 

"I got back on this year, I'm actually captain." he spoke, with obvious pride and Hermione this time let out a whole heartedly laugh. "Well, then Slytherin really don't stand a chance." she gave a smirk of her own and Draco nudged her with his shoulder. "Bitch." he snorted, smiling still. "Twat." she responded. Once more she got the urge to take hold of his hand. This time, she was obviously ripped from all willpower, as she hastedly grabbed his pale hand, holding her breath, waiting for him to shove her away or something. Their eyes locked once more, and Hermione breathed again as Draco squeezed her hand back.


End file.
